Social Science II - Heat Budget and Weather & Climate

Flashcards covering the heat budget of the Earth, greenhouse effect, weather vs. climate, the Indian Meteorological Department, and processes of heat transfer.

How many units of the total solar energy reaching the top of the atmosphere are reflected back?

$35$ units.

How many units of solar energy are absorbed by atmospheric particles?

$14$ units.

What is the estimated total amount of solar energy that reaches the surface of the earth?

$51$ units.

What is the process called where the surface temperature of the earth remains balanced by radiating back almost all insolation?

Heat Budget of the Earth.

What is the re-radiation of energy from the earth's surface in the form of long waves called?

Terrestrial radiation.

How is the Green House Effect defined?

The phenomenon where the absorption of terrestrial radiation by atmospheric gases, such as carbon dioxide, heats up the atmosphere.

What is the difference between Weather and Climate?

Weather refers to atmospheric conditions for a shorter period of time, while Climate is the average weather condition experienced for a longer period (typically $35$ to $40$ years) over a larger area.

Where is the headquarters of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD)?

Delhi.

What is the name of the agency responsible for weather observations and forecasts in India, functioning under the Ministry of Earth Sciences?

Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

What is Insolation?

The amount of sun's rays reaching the earth's surface, which is approximately one part of $200$ million of the energy radiated from the sun.

How is energy produced in the sun?

Through Nuclear Fusion, where two or more atomic nuclei collide and merge to form a larger atom.

How much Hydrogen is converted to Helium every second in the sun through nuclear fusion?

$600$ million tonnes.

In which form is energy emitted from the sun toward the earth?

Short waves.

How is heat transferred to the lower part of the atmosphere that is in direct contact with the earth's surface?

Conduction.

Which process involves the transfer of heat as heated air expands and rises to higher reaches of the atmosphere?

Convection.

What is Advection?

The horizontal transfer of heat through wind.

Why do short waves traverse the atmosphere without much obstruction compared to long waves?

Short waves have a high frequency because they are radiated from hotter objects, whereas long waves have a low frequency and are more easily absorbed or reflected by atmospheric particles.